Computer Tips and Privacy - by Don Beeler

[cousinlucky]

After reading this article I thought about Emailing the author and suggesting that he just switch to using Linux on the Internet. I declined to do so however because my lack of computer knowledge would be embarrassing. Perhaps one of the learned LinuxForum members would care to enlighten Mr. Beeler.

The article is at:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/beeler1.html

[oz]

Sometimes, it's really hard to get a computer user to give up Windows. It's almost like talking smokers into quitting their nasty habit. They really have to want to give it up before they'll take it upon themselves to do it.

Since this fellow seems to like alternatives to Microsoft products, he might try Linux if he hasn't done so already.

[fingal]

I think you should contact him coz. Just tell him about your own experiences with Linux and avoid the techie stuff. I think he might respond to that approach.

[Vergil83]

I ditto the call for you to do it. You do already have something in common (you read lenrockwell)

[ImNeat]

The intro sentence "Here are some computer tips for those of us who are ... pro-market" makes me think he's a Windows fan for economic reasons. Otherwise, why say that? Why not just say "Here are some computer tips"...

Dono.

[cousinlucky]

OK- I emailed my opinion to Mr. Beeler and probably boored him to tears. I doubt that I'll hear back from him, but who knows how he is going to take what I said. Windows has its good point-It drove me to using Linux on the Internet.

[smolloy]

Of his three complaints (vulnerabilities, web annoyances, privacy) Linux can only really help with the first. It can't do any more than Windows about web annoyances (firefox on linux without addblock leads to as frustrating an experience as firefox on windows without addblock), and if the Big Nasty Government wants to spy on our surfing habits, then they can do that no matter what OS we're using.

Linux users, of course, have a strongly reduced chance of being bitten by a virus, but we need to be just as careful about our online privacy as everyone else.

By the way, the recent suggestion by the US government to store browsing history on all of us is (IMO) not just absolutely outrageous, but also very very worrying.


EDIT: OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Cousinlucky, I'd be interested to read what you emailed to him.

[cousinlucky]

Dear Mr. Beeler:

After I read your article I posted a link to it on LinuxForums and requested that one of the very computer knowledgable members Email you about the advantages of having a dual boot with a Linux OS and your version of windows. The LinuxForum members advised me to write to you myself even though I am as computer Illiterate as anyone could be. It was suggested that I relate to you how I got to be using Linux on the Internet. I hope I do not boor you to tears.

I bought an HP pavillion a532x computer at my local Best Buy store. I bought the computer because it had 512MB of ram memory and a 160GB hard drive. Windows XP was preinstalled with a bunch of software that I did not want. The computer was made for a music downloading teenager whose parents would be glad something kept him in his room.

I installed Nero and Easy Office and deleted most of the junk. However like most Windows users I spent a lot of money buying software to keep the trojans, hijackings, and spyware out of my computer. Naturally I had to have my hard drive reformatted many, many times.

Eventually I bought a Kerio Firewall and set it to ask my permission to let anything in or out of my computer. Through the Kerio Firewall I discovered all of the very many " phone home " programs that HP and Microsoft had within their software.

The only thing I could not stop was my computer being scanned: however the kerio software would give me the duration and IP address of the scanner. I later discovered that part of my problems stemmed from microsoft because I did not know I was supposed to pay for the crappy operating system they had on my computer.

Eventually I went to the same Best Buy store and bought a Suse 10 Linux operating system. I took my computer to " Jay " my computer guy along with the disks I bought from HP. Jay partitioned a scaled down version of windows onto my computer and provided me with driver disks for my HP printer and scanner.

When I got the computer back home I installed the Suse 10 OS to use on the Internet. My computer has not had to go back to the shop since then. Without a registry to hide in, it is easy to get rid of anything that is maliciously downloaded into my computer's Linux OS.

Everything gets put into the " home " folder so it is easy to find anything I did not put there. I can also do a Suse 10 repair installation at any time if the computer seems to be acting funny.

I always say to my friends that there isn't any way to secure any Microsoft OS because there are way too many phone home programs to Microsoft to alert them of pirated OS or ones that were not paid for.

It is much easier for a windows user to send away for a free set of Ubuntu Linux disks and have a dual boot machine that only uses Linux on the Internet.

I am sure your article helped some people still using windows on the Internet, but why even bother. As an aside Microsoft did not like the way the Kerio Firewall worked so Microsoft bought Kerio so it would be able to get through Kerio's shielding.

Respectfully,

cousin lucky

[apoorv_khurasia]

It's almost like talking smokers into quitting their nasty habit. They really have to want to give it up before they'll take it upon themselves to do it.

Since this fellow seems to like alternatives to Microsoft products, he might try Linux if he hasn't done so already.

What are the alternatives to the sweet tobbacco? I believe none but would be glad to find one.

[smolloy]

Nice letter cousinlucky. I think you got your point across well, and I like the fact that you didn't try to fill it with "techno-speak" -- you just detailed your personal experiences with windows and linux. This gives it a little touch of reality and believability, without sounding too lecturing. Well done

Let us know if he gets back to you.